EducationPhD. 1997. Geophysical Sciences. The University of Chicago.BA 1987. Geology. University of Oxford (St Edmund Hall)

I was once asked by a teacher at High School what A-levels I planned to do and why. I replied that I was going to study Classical History, Geology and English Literature because they interested me. This was met with a look of horror and the prediction that I would achieve nothing... Well, they were wrong, although not without some serious hard work and luck.

I am not sure that anyone has since chosen, or been allowed to do this combination of A levels at my Sixth Form College or anywhere else. What I do know is that despite my then adding Maths and Chemistry to this mix it is certainly the case that I would not now get into Oxford to do Geology with such an eclectic academic background.

And that is the real shame.

We live in a world with so much information, so easily accessible, that we need people with more diverse backgrounds who can work with the specialists to see how our Earth fits together. Data at the click of a button is great, but totally useless if you do not know the questions to ask and what data is good and what is bad. In this new, bizarre era of "fake news" and "alternative facts" this is all the more a concern.

In these pages you will see how my interests in tectonics relate to my work on landscape evolution, which requires an understanding of weathering and erosion, which requires a knowledge of vegetation, climate and climate modelling, the results of which can only be constrained by an understanding of climate proxies, including palaeoecological data, which... well, you get the picture.

The Earth system is complex and it is critical to sometimes stand back to look at the big picture. It also helps to know the right experts to talk to and the right questions to ask.

I hope you find this website of interest.

All the best,

Paul

PUBLICATIONS

With over 100 published papers and conference presentations there is still much to do. Working in Industry has been incredibly stimulating, with the opportunity to meet some incredible geologists in the exploration departments of the world's oil and has companies. But a consequence of working in industry has been that so much of my research remains at the manuscript stage; something to now catch up on.